Valuations

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s moment of truth (in the courtroom, at least) is coming this week as the full Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is set to rehear the landmark challenge to the agency’s constitutionality brought by PHH Corp. Here's a breakdown of the case and a view of what's coming next.

As prices go up, existing home sales are on track to hit the highest sales pace since 2006, a new forecast from the National Association of Realtors shows. However, the housing market will still face various headwinds, including lack of economic growth, which could hold back the sales pace.

Home prices continue to rise in the highly-competitive market in the U.S., but how do we stack up internationally? As it turns out, while the U.S. was facing a housing crisis, other developed nations home prices only kept increasing. Is this what a global housing bubble looks like?

Home sales increased in the first quarter to the fastest sales rate in a decade. However, as home sales increase, housing inventory is pushed lower and home prices continue to rise. During the first quarter, home prices increased at their fastest pace in two years.

Just in time for graduation season, a new study conducted by Trulia shows the most promising housing areas for those new graduates. The study compares affordability with the number of jobs available to recent grads, and the salaries they are paid, to find the six areas that rank as the best metros for college grads to live.

Homeowners are overestimating their homes’ values even more in April than in the previous few months. But even as the gap widens, appraised home values are increasing at a faster rate than previous months.

Many reports show home values soaring to new heights and surpassing pre-crisis peaks. However, Trulia’s new study shows that while the median home price is up, the majority of homes are still lagging behind their pre-recession levels. In fact, all homes may not regain their full pre-recession value until about 2025.

With home prices in the San Francisco area reaching new heights, higher incomes are needed to live in the city. In fact, now even a six-digit salary could land you in the low-income category in one of the U.S.’s most expensive cities.

Pending home sales dipped slightly in March as low levels of housing inventory created a strain on the market. Low inventory levels are not only holding back home prices, but also creating more competition and increasing home prices. The National Association of Realtors forecasts the rate of home sales for 2017.

Homeowners are hitting decade highs in their accrued equity, as it increased by 24% since the time of purchase to the first quarter in 2017. And not only are equities rising, but also the amount of time homeowners spend in their home. ATTOM Data Solutions explains why.

Commentary

With the recent turnover in leadership at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, we may be standing at the precipice of great change in the government’s role in supporting the mortgage market through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.